I am here on Purpose

"And I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;" (1 Timothy 1:12).

I am so grateful that God has called me and equipped me to serve Him as the pastor of Everett Springs Baptist Church. Serving as a pastor is not a position I fill; but a passion that fills me! As a pastor, I am a "steward of God" (Titus 1:7) and I want to fulfill my stewardship for the Glory of God and the good of those I am called to serve.

Today I read the following that encouraged and challenged me in the area of Pastoral stewardship.

"Stick with your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil's dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let critics malign, let enemies accuse, let the devil do his worst; but see to it nothing hinders your from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you.

He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed. He has never bidden you defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood (about yourself) which Satan's or God's servants may start to peddle, or to tracj down every rumor that threatens your reputation. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.

Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motives; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But see to it with steadfast determination, with unfailing zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do."" (From: Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically / by: John MacArthur and The Master's Seminary Faculty, p. 14)

Pray with me and for me that I will faithfully fulfill the calling and purpose that God has given me to do.

Members Making a Difference

Last night, nine individuals from Everett Springs Baptist Church attended the Leadership Training Conference sponsored by the Floyd County Baptist Association. Our Church was represented at six of the nine topics taught at the conference. We learned more about: Childrens Ministry, Church Clerk, Church Finance, Deacon’s Ministry, Music Ministry and Pastoral Ministry. I am so grateful to be a part of a Church where members are willing and eager to learn, grow and develop in various areas of ministry for the Glory of God and the good of our church.

We as a Church family are blessed to have Church members who are willing to invest their time in learning, self-improvement and ministry development. This is just one of the many reasons that I believe great days are ahead of us.

C You Later

On Sunday morning, I will preach the last message from 1 Peter. On January 4, I began a verse by verse study on 1 Peter. Over twenty messages later we are now coming to the end of this very practical book (Of course we had a few intermissions along the way with special emphasis and other messages as needed) There is much in 1 Peter 5 for our edification and encouragement. I have entitled the message "C You Later" because Peter is wrapping up his letter to the suffering saints scattered throughout "Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia" (1Peter 1:1). His parting words to them are practical words for us.

The chapter can be broken down into five areas:
1. Your Church
2. Your Character
3. Your Cares
4. Your Conflict
5. Your Conclusion

I am looking forward to seeing our members and guests on Sunday morning and sharing with them the message: "C You Later"

See You Sunday with an open Bible, an open heart and an eagerness to hear from God!

A Wonder-Ful Weekend

I'm planning on meeting some of our students at 5:00pm at the Church. We will then grab a bite to eat and travel on the Fellowship Baptist Church in Rome. They are hosting Scott Humston and the Wonder-Full Weekend. Scott is a dynamic Christian Illusionist. I know Scott's predecessor, Felix Snipes, and have seen Felix several times. From what I know of Felix and what I have read of Scott I am sure we will have a great time, see some phenomenal illusions and hear a clear Gospel message. If you are in and around the Everett Springs area and want to join us you are welcome to do so. We will head out from the Church around 5:15pm and return back around 9:45pm.

Why am I starting a Blog?

This is a new endeavor for me and one that I have thought about quite often. Finally it has come time to take action on my thoughts. My purpose in creating this blog is to primarily supplement the ministry God has given me at Everett Springs Baptist Church.

I have thought about other social networking options but none seem to have the appeal or the functionality that a simple blog site would offer. My plans are to write about upcoming events, post previews from my sermon preparation, address social issues and to provide supplemental material to aid in personal application of the messages delivered at our church.

I hope what I write will serve to reflect a Pastor's heart, will sharpen my communication skills, minister to those who read it, and above all bring Glory to God.